Fall River school officials say they're still seeking certified full-time teacher for autism program

Sunday

Jan 26, 2014 at 6:44 PMJan 26, 2014 at 8:02 PM

Michael Gagne Herald News Staff Reporter @HNMikeGagne

FALL RIVER — Special education teachers, including autism specialists, are in high demand through out the state.

Fall River is no exception. So when the teacher of an autism spectrum class at Spencer Borden Elementary School suddenly left last September, it's taken from then until now to find a replacement.

Superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown said the district had been actively recruiting for a new teacher in that class known as Room 223, which has nine high-functioning autistic second- and third-grade students.

The class has not gone unsupervised; it has been staffed with a full-time substitute and paraprofessionals.

Mayo-Brown said the district has not been able to find a replacement in part because there's "a shortage of special education teachers in the commonwealth."

"Every year, it's a challenge we continue to have to deal with," Mayo-Brown said.

The district has other special-ed-instructor needs to fill, with four other openings, special education director Ivone Medeiros said. Autism specialists are especially needed. Last September, the School Committee approved converting two special education positions to autism specialists.

Fall River resident Stefanie Picard, whose son is enrolled in Room 223, said she is concerned that he has not been able to progress academically without the presence of the full-time licensed teacher.

Picard said administrators recommended the class, saying her son "would benefit from being in a classroom where he could learn and be handled by an educator who worked with kids with autism."

"However, half of the year has gone by, and that teacher has not been hired," Picard said in a recent email to school officials.

"I want to know what is going on? And why a new teacher has not been appointed? The year is half gone, and, still, no teacher for these children."

Picard said she was concerned about her son being left behind.

"What is going to happen when he moves to third grade and beyond?" she wrote, adding her son "has a right to education and the right to reach his full potential."

School officials said she is right to be concerned.

"It has been very frustrating," said Spencer Borden Principal Michael Ward, who said the school's search for a new teacher has been narrowed down to two finalists.

"It's not like we've been laying idle," Ward said, noting that the beginning of the year is a difficult time to recruit, whereas by December there are new college graduates and other potential teachers seeking new positions.

"The chances of finding a teacher, in first week of September are very, very slim," Mayo-Brown added.

In a letter sent out to parents on Jan. 16, Ward assured "it has been the highest priority to get a certified teacher in your child's classroom."

"However to teach within an autistic classroom a teacher needs to have [a] specific skill set to meet the diverse needs of the students," Ward wrote.

The ideal candidate should be able to communicate through various means, deliver a general curriculum and support behavioral needs, and must be certified in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Districtwide there are roughly 200 students diagnosed as autistic. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution for educating autistic students. There are a variety of placements for those children. For example, students with high-needs autism may have a self-contained classroom.

Spencer Borden alone has nine special education classrooms, serving a variety of needs. Seven of those classrooms are self-contained, Ward explained.

Other students may be in a regular classroom setting, in which the teacher works with an autism specialist as a consultant, Mayo-Brown explained.

"We always want the most-qualified individual," Mayo-Brown said, of recruiting new teachers to the district. "That remains the mission."

However, finding teachers in the region who are licensed in Massachusetts is a challenge, as many recruits come from Rhode Island and may have different licenses.

"We see that each and every year. If we're unable to find a credentialed special ed teacher, we have to request a waiver to provide teachers in the classroom," Mayo-Brown said.

"Like Fall River, they all struggle with finding highly qualified staff for ASD and social-emotional programs, as well as speech therapy, particularly when staff suddenly resigns," Medeiros said.

While at the same time noting the lack of a licensed teacher, Mayo-Brown and Medeiros praised the efforts of the classroom's paraprofessionals.

"Our paraprofessionals often have teaching degrees," Medeiros said. "As a matter of fact, we often hire them as teaching positions become open."

"I can't speak highly enough of them," she said. "They are another caring adult in the room, attempting to meet the needs of the students.

But Mayo-Brown noted that most don't necessarily have expertise in planning and curriculum development. That's where specially licensed teachers come in.

"Everybody is giving their best effort, trying to make sure kids make academic progress," Mayo-Brown said. "We don't want to have a lot of transitions in that room."

Picard is not the only parent to have spoken up on her child's behalf. Other parents have voiced similar concerns, Mayo-Brown said.

"I would expect to hear from parents and should hear from parents," she said.

Picard said she appreciated the work of the paraprofessionals in her son's class, who do "their very best."

But they are not familiar with the curriculum or what is required for these children to learn," Picard wrote.

Picard said she was most angry about the lack of communication she feels she has received.

In her email, which was sent prior to Ward's update notice, she wrote, "If something has changed, and a teacher has been found, that is wonderful. But I know nothing about it, and my point is: I should be informed."